Spherical motion sensor housing for outdoor security light

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure sets forth a motion sensing outdoor security light with the flexibility of being mounted to either a wall structure or to an eave or ceiling structure. An adjustable spherical motion sensor housing may be provided with the rotationally adjustable outdoor security light, allowing easy adjustment of motion detection ranges under different mounting schemes without comprising the aesthetic design of the light. The adjustable spherical motion sensor housing may also provide an enlarged horizontal field of view for better performance.

BACKGROUND

Motion based security lighting typically includes a motion sensor whichis fixed to a luminaire housing. Such design prevents variability formotion detection in some situations. This disclosed security lightmotion sensor design provides a broader horizontal field of view andenables the sensor to be adjusted after installation to obtain a desiredcoverage ranges.

Motion or occupancy sensors are designed to save energy by detecting thepresence of a moving object in a specific predetermined area of coverageand switching a light source on and off depending upon the presence ofthe moving object. Specifically, when a moving object is detected withinthe area of coverage, the light source is turned on. In the alternative,when motion is not detected indicating that the area of coverage is notoccupied, the light source is turned off after a predetermined period oftime. Motion sensors are thus enabled to reduce electrical energy wasteby taking over the functions of a light switch or an electrical outlet.Accordingly, outdoor security light fixtures with motion sensors areavailable for serving as light sources in a variety of areas, such aspassageways, streets, parking lots, and gardens, and areenergy-efficient and permit their attached luminaries to have longerlifetimes than conventional ones because they are activated only when anobject, such as a person or a motor vehicle, approaches. A popular formof such a light fixture includes a motion sensor that is responsive toinfrared radiation emitted by a person or motor vehicle as the person orvehicle moves within the field of view of the device. These devices aregenerally referred to as passive infrared, or “PIR” motion sensors.These sensors are incorporated into the light fixture housing to triggerthe lighting upon detection of the person, motor vehicle, or like heatemitting objects. Typically, the motion sensors detect the presence ofthose objects in a specific predetermined area defined by presetcoordinates.

As each motion sensor has a particular field of view for motiondetection, it is important that the field of view of the motion sensorsentirely cover the desired area so an object can be detected.Specifically, installation of such motion sensing light fixturesrequires forethought regarding the proper mounting and orientation asthe motion sensors work best when they are pointed at the desired motiondetection areas. However, the coordinates of these areas of interest areoften not known at the time the light fixture is installed, and thereare also times when these coordinates in addition to other variablesneed adjustments (e.g., the field of view of the motion sensor at theinstallation may be too wide or too narrow to fully meet a particularuser's needs). Thus, often the motion sensor's orientation has to bechanged when environment changes occur that modify the motion pattern ofan area such as new constructions, traffic pattern changes, etc.

Most existing motion sensing light fixtures have a fixed and limitedfield of view, and adjustments for the sensor or sensor housingorientation is usually not allowed. Even if adjustments to functionoptimally in a particular location is possible for some traditionalmotion sensing light fixtures, it may not allow easy toolless manualadjustments of the sensor's performance. For example, most existingmotion sensors require the use of a tool, such as a screwdriver, toremove an access cover to make adjustments. Sometimes tools are notreadily available, and even when these tools are accessible, theadjustment may require disassembly and reassembly of a few partsincluding the housing of the security light. This type of adjustment isnot only cumbersome and awkward, but damage may also occur duringdisassembly and reassembly. Also, there are times when the aestheticdesign of the light fixture may be compromised in order to provide amore favorable orientation scheme for motion detection.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed generally to an outdoor securitylight, including a single or multi-axis adjustable motion sensor housingin a spherical configuration with a limited vertical field of view whileexpanding the lateral or horizontal field of view to 240 degrees ormore. The disclosed light fixtures may, for example, illuminate awalkway or driveway when a person or a motor vehicle approaches. Thespherical configuration allows a user to adjust/rotate the motion sensorreadily against the mounting surface without comprising the aestheticdesign of the light.

By providing a rotationally adjustable spherical motion sensor or sensorhousing mounted on the luminaire housing improves ease of field of viewadjustment of the motion sensor while also increasing variability ofinstallation location. Providing a motion sensor housing in a sphericalconfiguration separate from the luminaire housing further ease ofinstallation and improves the aesthetic design.

Consistent with various aspects of the present disclosure, a sphericalmotion sensor housing mounted on an outdoor security light canopy isdisclosed. The spherical motion sensor housing may comprise a sphericalshroud including a first shroud hemisphere and a second shroudhemisphere. The first shroud hemisphere includes a lens opening, a firstoccluding portion, and a second occluding portion, and the firstoccluding portion and the second occluding portion may be in opposingrelationship within the lens opening and extending inwards towards eachother. In some embodiments, the lens opening may be defined by a centeropening portion, a first horizontal extent opening portion, and a secondhorizontal extent opening portion. The spherical motion sensor housingmay further comprise a lens covering the lens opening of the sphericalshroud and a motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud.The motion detection unit has an optical field of view for motiondetection through the lens, and the optical field of view for motiondetection includes a horizontal field of view and a vertical field ofview. The horizontal field of view of the motion detection unit isexpanded by the first horizontal extent opening portion of the lensopening and by the second horizontal extent opening portion of the lensopening, and the vertical field of view of the motion detection unit islimited by the first occluding portion of the first shroud hemisphereand the second occluding portion of the first shroud hemisphere.

One or more of the following may be optionally included with sphericalmotion sensor housing. In some embodiments, each of the first occludingportion and the second occluding portion is a tab with a curved surface.In some embodiments, the lens is in a partial spherical arc. In someother embodiments, the motion detection unit includes at least one PIRsensor mounted within the spherical shroud. In such embodiments, thelens is a segmented Fresnel lens comprising a plurality of sections, andeach section is capable of independently focusing infrared radiation forthe at least one PIR sensor. In some embodiments, the lens is curved ina conical or convex shape. In such embodiments, the at least one PIRsensor may include a first, second and third PIR sensors mounted withinthe spherical shroud, and facing the center opening portion, the firsthorizontal extent opening portion, and the second horizontal extentopening portion respectively. In such embodiments, the motion detectionunit further includes a mounting surface, and the first, second, andthird PIR sensors are mounted on the mounting surface by a mountingblock. The mounting block has a plurality of surfaces for holding thefirst, second, and third PIR sensors. In such embodiments, the mountingsurface may be mounted internally within the spherical shroud to a rearportion of the second shroud hemisphere. In some embodiments, themounting surface is a printed circuit board mounted within the sphericalshroud and carries the mounting block with the first, second, and thirdPIR sensors on a first circuit board face thereof behind the lens. Insome embodiments, the motion detection unit is mounted within thespherical shroud proximal to a rear portion of the spherical shroud anddistal from the lens.

To promote motion detection performance, in some further embodiments,the first shroud occluding portion and the second shroud occludingportion may provide the motion detection unit mounted within thespherical shroud with an effective vertical angular field of view ofabout 40 degrees or less. In some embodiments, the lens opening definedby the center opening portion, the first horizontal extent openingportion, and the second horizontal extent opening portion may providethe motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud with aneffective horizontal angular field of view of about 240 degrees or more.

In various embodiments, to implement modification and adjustability ofthe spherical motion sensor housing, the outdoor security light canopymay retain a supporting cup and the spherical motion sensor housing ismounted on the outdoor security light canopy by the supporting cup, thespherical shroud may have a first interfacing tab attached thereto, thesupporting cup may have a first gear rack mounted thereon, and the firstgear rack includes a plurality of first interfacing notches configuredto mate with the first interfacing tab to allow the first interfacingtab to move along the first gear rack and allow a first axis adjustmentof the spherical motion sensor housing. In some embodiments, the firstinterfacing tab is attached to the second shroud hemisphere of thespherical shroud through a stem.

In some variations, a second interfacing tab may be attached to theoutdoor security light canopy, and the supporting cup further includes asecond gear rack mounted thereon including a plurality of secondinterfacing notches configured to mate with the second interfacing tabto allow the second interfacing tab to move along the second gear rackto allow a second axis adjustment of the spherical motion sensorhousing. In some embodiments, the plurality of first interfacing notchesof the first gear rack are provided on an arcuate/inclined surface in alinear configuration, while the plurality of second interfacing notchesof the second gear rack are provided on a planar surface.

In some other embodiments, the supporting cup further comprises at leastone outwardly directed projection and at least one stop mounted withinthe security light canopy to limit the second axis adjustment of thespherical motion sensor housing by abutting the at least one outwardlydirected projection against the at least one stop.

In some embodiments, the spherical motion sensor housing may comprise aspherical shroud including a lens opening, a first occluding portion,and a second occluding portion, and the first occluding portion and thesecond occluding portion may be in opposing relationship within the lensopening and extending inwards towards each other. In some embodiments,the lens opening may be defined by a center opening portion, a firsthorizontal extent opening portion, and a second horizontal extentopening portion. The spherical motion sensor housing may furthercomprise a lens covering the lens opening of the spherical shroud and amotion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud. The motiondetection unit has an optical field of view for motion detection throughthe lens, and the optical field of view for motion detection includes ahorizontal field of view and a vertical field of view. The horizontalfield of view of the motion detection unit is expanded by the firsthorizontal extent opening portion of the lens opening and by the secondhorizontal extent opening portion of the lens opening, and the verticalfield of view of the motion detection unit is limited by the firstoccluding portion and the second occluding portion.

In still further embodiments, the spherical motion sensor housing maycomprise a spherical shroud including a lens opening, a first occludingportion, and a second occluding portion, and the first occluding portionand the second occluding portion may be in opposing relationship withinthe lens opening and extending inwards towards each other. The sphericalmotion sensor housing may further comprise a lens covering the lensopening of the spherical shroud and a motion detection unit mountedwithin the spherical shroud. The motion detection unit has an opticalfield of view for motion detection through the lens, and the opticalfield of view for motion detection includes a horizontal field of viewand a vertical field of view. The vertical field of view of the motiondetection unit is limited by the first occluding portion and the secondoccluding portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the sameparts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed uponillustrating the principles of the disclosure

FIG. 1A is a prospective view of a rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light with a motion sensor mounted from the rear, according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a prospective view of another rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light with a motion sensor mounted from the top, according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light of FIG. 1A mounted under an eave with two lamp heads,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light of FIG. 1A with the housing mount separated from theluminaire housing, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective disassembly view of the rotationally adjustableoutdoor security light of FIG. 1B with the housing mount separated fromthe luminaire housing, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 5 and 5A-C illustrate various adjustment mechanisms of anadjustable spherical motion sensor housing, according to differentembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a an exploded, perspective view of an adjustable sphericalmotion sensor housing, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate two different detection ranges that can beachieved with an adjustable spherical motion sensor, according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As depicted in the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like partsthroughout the several views, various rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light 100, 200 in accordance with various embodiments will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. Mounting of thesecurity light 100, 200 may be implemented under various scenarios, andFIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 illustrate two typical installations andorientations of the security light 100, 200 to display the overalladjustability with the security light 100, 200. FIGS. 1A and 1B thesecurity light 100, 200 is installed on a wall in a vertical orientationagainst a wall surface, while in FIG. 2 the security light 200 isinstalled under an eave in a horizontal installation (the security light100 may be installed in a horizontal installation in a similar manner).The security light 100, 200 in both orientations is adjustable so as tobe forwardly directed to properly illuminate an area when turned onregardless of location of installation while also allowing the motionsensor to adequately view a motion sensing zone.

To allow the security light 100, 200 to be mounted in multipleconfigurations, the security light 100, 200 includes a separated housingmount 102, 202 and luminaire housing 104, 204, which may be removablycoupled to each other. Separation of the housing mount 102, 202 and theluminaire housing 104, 204 improves the installation process of thesecurity light 100, 200 and increases variability of installationlocations. As can be understood in looking at the figures, directmounting of a typical wall mount as depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B to aneave mount as shown in FIG. 2 would not allow both the lamp head(s) andsensors to be properly oriented towards an illumination zone anddetection zone. Particularly, by reorienting the luminaire housingagainst the ceiling/eave without rotational adjustment, the motionsensor field of view would not be oriented appropriately for detectionof movement. Also, the lamp heads may be limited in their adjustabilitydue to low clearance of the ceiling structure. However, providing both aseparated housing mount in combination with a rotatable first and secondportion of a removable security light luminaire housing alleviates suchshortcomings.

Typical installation of the security light 100, 200 set forth hereinincludes initial installation of the housing mount 102, 202 which iselectrically connected to an electrical connection within a junction boxin some implementations. Separately, the security light luminairehousing 104, 204 is removably attached to the housing mount 102, 202respectively. The luminaire housing 104, 204 also has both a firstportion 106, 206 and a second portion 108, 208, which are rotatablerelative to each other, allowing for adjustability as depicted. Separateinstallation of the housing mount 102, 202 to the fixed structureincreases the ease of electrical connection and fixating its position.Further, the housing mount 102, 202 may provide additional and separatedfunctionality, such as modification of the electricity provided by thewired housing/structure to an adjusted low voltage DC provided to theelectrical interface between the housing mount and the security lighthousing. Hence, the housing mount 102, 202 may provide direct and easymechanical and electrical connection of the luminaire housing 104, 204once the initial housing mount 102, 202 is installed. Further, theluminaire housing 104, 204 may be rotatably adjusted for properclearance and aiming of both the motion sensor(s) and lamp head(s).Hence, separating the housing mount 102, 202 from the rotatablyadjustable security luminaire housing 104, 204 improves both mechanicalinstallation, electrical connectivity and illumination of theillumination zone.

The separated housing mount 102, 202 is adapted to be affixed to aninstallation surface (e.g., a wall, an eave, a ceiling, etc.) of abuilding structure. For example, a base or rear portion 123, 223 of thehousing mount 102, 202 may include one or more projections 156, 256,such as a pair of screws (best shown in FIG. 3 ), for fastening thehousing mount 102, 202 to the structure of the eave or the wall. Otherexamples of fastening elements on the base 123, 223, may include but arenot limited to, a bracket, a hanger, a brace, a hook, a closed or openslit, a closed or open slot, or other structure enabling attachment ofthe base to the wall or eave. Alternatively, the housing mount 102, 202may simply be affixed to the structural surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the luminaire housing 104, 204 may includethe luminaire housing first portion 106, 206 and the luminaire housingsecond portion 108, 208 which are rotatably secured together. In someembodiments, the luminaire housing first portion 106, 206 may be furtherrotatable or slidable relative to the housing mount 102, 202 duringinstallation. For mounting purposes, the first portion 106, 206 may beremovably attached to the housing mount 102, 202 respectively, and thesecond portion 108, 208 is rotatable relative to the first portion 106,206. For example, a user can rotate the second portion 108, 208 180degrees relative to the first portion 106, 206 to switch the securitylight 100, 200 from a horizontal mounting surface as shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B to a vertical mounting surface orientation as shown in FIG. 2 .Both embodiments of the security light 100, 200 may be similarlyadjusted through rotation about a rotatable hinge 118, 218. By providinga separated housing mount 102, 202 and luminaire housing 104, 204, easeof installation is achieved for the wired electrical connection to thehousing mount 102, 202 while allowing separate installation of theluminaire housing 104, 204 directly to a mounting structure containingelectrical contacts. Rotatable luminaire housing 104, 204 further alloworientation modifications for redirection of the lamp heads and motionsensors.

The outdoor security light 100, 200 may also include at least one motionsensor or sensor housing 110, 210 and has at least one lamp head 112,212 rotatably and adjustably located on the luminaire housing 104, 204.In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the motion sensor 110,210 may be positioned along a lower section of the luminaire housing104, 204 and independent from the lamp head 112, 212, so that it may beadjustably positioned relative to the housing and aimed towards hightraffic areas or other detection zones. For example, a detection zonemay be in front of the installation and lower than an illumination zone.The motion sensor 110, 210 may include at least one sensor andsupporting electronics and may also include a lens over the sensorhousing opening to properly focalize the input towards the sensor orsensors. Other electronics of the motion sensor may be located withinthe luminaire housing 104, 204 or the housing mount 102, 202 to properlyinterpret the input and send appropriate control signals to a luminairecontroller or other electronics. More details of the motion sensor 110,210 will be discussed below.

In some embodiments for the security light 100, 200, the second portion108, 208 may be connected to the first portion 106, 206 via a rotatableconnection that is angularly displaced between the two portions. Therotatable connections may allow rotation of the second portion 108, 208relative to the first portion 106, 206 so that a user may direct themotion sensor 110, 210 and the light head toward desired locations. Forexample, the rotational interface between the first portion and thesecond portion may be along an angled rotational surface or interface118, 218. In such embodiments, the angled rotational surface orinterface 118, 218 is angled relative to a rear mounting plane 130, 230of the first portion 106, 206. The angled rotational surface 118, 218between the first portion and the second portion allows the securitylight apparatus 100, 200 disclosed to be mounted on different surfaces,horizontal or vertical, while allowing the lamp heads and sensor headsto be properly directed outwards toward the illumination and thesensor/detection zone.

The security light 100, 200 allows for multiple installationorientations and includes at least one lamp head 112, 212, which may beadjustably connected to the luminaire housing 104, 204 to adjust thelight output or illumination zone. In some embodiments, as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B, the lamp head 112, 212 may be adjustably mounted ontothe luminaire housing second portion 108, 208 via an arm 113, 213. Inparticular, a first end 111, 211 of the arm 113, 213 may be coupled tothe second portion 108, 208, and a second end 115, 215 of the arm 113,213 that is opposite to the first end 111, 211 may be in differentconfigurations (e.g., a knuckle joint configuration or other suitableadjustable mechanisms) and coupled to the lamp head 112, 212. Forexample, a knuckle joint shown in FIG. 1A may be used to appropriatelyadjust the position of the lamp head 112 to allow the lamp head 112 tobe variably positioned three dimensionally so that a user may directlight emitted from the security light 100 in various directions asdesired. Hence the lamp head(s) which are connected to the luminairehousing may be adjusted along both a first and a second axis and in someimplementations the first adjustment axis may be substantiallyperpendicular to the second adjustment axis.

Although FIG. 1A describe using knuckle joints at the end 115 for theadjustment of a lamp head 112, it should be understood that otheradjusting mechanisms (e.g., a multi-axis hinge) may also be used tocouple the lamp head 112 to the luminaire housing second portion 108.For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration with two lamp heads 112,where the first lamp head 112A and the second lamp head 112B are eachrotationally attached to the luminaire housing second portion 108 by arespective first and second rotational hinge 107 and 109. As shown inFIG. 2 , the first rotational hinge 107 may rotate about a firstrotation axis X while the second rotational hinge 109 may rotate about asecond rotation axis Y, and the first rotation axis X may beperpendicular to the second rotation axis Y. In some other embodimentsfor the security light 200, FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration with asingle lamp head 212 is rotationally attached to the luminaire housingsecond portion 208 by a respective first and second rotational hinge 207and 209. As shown in FIG. 4 , the first rotational hinge 207 may rotateabout a first rotation axis X while the second rotational hinge 209 mayrotate about a second rotation axis Y, and the first rotation axis X maybe perpendicular to the second rotation axis Y in some embodiments.Although FIGS. 2 and 4 describe using a multi-axis hinge adjustable armfor the adjustment of a lamp head 112, 212, it should be understood thatother adjusting mechanisms may also be used to couple the lamp head 112,212 to the luminaire housing second portion 108, 208. It should beunderstood that even further embodiments may allow for a separated lamphead remote from the luminaire housing 104, 204 and connected thereto byan electrical connection to power and control the illumination sources.For example, a separate lamp head may be individually mounted on asupporting structure by mechanical or magnetic means and be electricallyconnected to the luminaire housing 104, 204 for electrical connectivity.It should be also understood that the number of lamp heads is notlimited here. For example, in some embodiments, two or more lamp headsmay be connected to the luminaire housing second portion 108, 208 forbrighter illumination.

As well, it should be understood that while a single lamp head is shownin some embodiments, multiple lamp heads may be provided with similaradjustability mechanisms so that each of the plurality of lamp heads areindependently adjustable about multiple axis.

The security light 100, 200 may be adjusted to be operable, such asbeing well-suited for an eave-mounted, wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted,and/or freestanding security light. Further, alternative power sourcesmay be configured for the electricity needed for operation. In someembodiments, the security light 100, 200 may be adapted for connectionto a wired external power source, such as the junction box with a 110Vor 220V line voltage electrical service, a remote solar charging stationwith rechargeable batteries, and/or one or more internal batteries. Forexample, in some embodiments, electrical wiring cables within thejunction box may be connected to an electrical connector 140, 240 of thehousing mount 102, 202 to provide a wired line voltage electricalconnection to the security light 100, 200 and the embedded electroniccomponents. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 140, 240 maybe a quick connector configured to be connected to Romex wires (the 110VAC hot, neutral, and ground wires) from a junction box.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the electrical power may be provided to thesecurity light 100, 200 via electrical low voltage contacts between thehousing mount 102, 202 and the luminaire housing 104, 204, therebyallowing the luminaire housing to be wired without additional hardwiring as is typical. For example, the electrical contact between thefirst portion 106, 206 and the housing mount 102, 202 may be quickconnect low voltage electrical contacts. When assembled, the luminairehousing 104, 204 may rotate and/or slide relative to the installedorientation of the housing mount 102, 202. In some embodiments, arotatable electrical connection as shown in FIG. 3 may allow the initialorientation of the junction box and/or the housing mount 102 to notlimit the orientation of the motion sensor 110 and the lamp head 112.That is to say that the security light 100, in one of the manyimplementations, is always electrically coupled regardless of therotational orientation between the luminaire housing 104 relative to thehousing mount 102. In implementations, the electrical connection betweenthe housing mount 102 and luminaire housing 104 includes ground,neutral, and hot connections. In some implementations, these connectionsmay be maintained for up to about 360 degrees of rotation or less (e.g.CW and/or CCW) about an axis A as shown in FIG. 3 . Electricity for thesecurity light 100 is supplied through the rotational quick connectconstruction providing low voltage DC to the security light. In someinstallations, the luminaire housing 104 of the security light 100initially attaches to the housing mount 102 at an offset angle betweenthe two structures allowing rotation to be a part of the installation.For example, installation may require rotation of the luminaire housingrelative to the housing mount 102 by 20-40 degrees before the twostructures are in a final locked orientation. In some embodiments,rotational electrical connection may be a full 360 degrees. In otherimplementations, the rotational electrical connection may be less, forexample between 90 and 180 degrees. In some implementations, therotation between the two structures acts to mechanically lock thestructures together. For example, helical threads on both structures maybe used to properly orient and lock the two structures together. Instill further examples, there may be a direct connection between thehousing mount 102, 202 and the luminaire housing 104, 204, which doesnot require rotational adjustment. For example, the luminaire housing104. 204 may snap fit, friction fit or be installed in the properorientation to the housing mount 102, 202.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 3 , the rotational electricalcontacts between the housing mount 102 and the luminaire housing 104 maybe concentric contacts located on respective receiving interfacingsurfaces of the two components. When the two components are in a mountedcontacting position, the contacts may be aligned to correspondingopposing contacts on the receiving surface, allowing the power to beexchanged between the contacts. As shown in FIG. 3 , electrical contactsor connections 22 between the housing mount 102 and the luminairehousing 104 may be rotatably electrically engaged during the rotation(e.g. in the plurality of rotational orientations of the luminairehousing 104 in respect to the housing mount 102). The one or moreelectrical contacts 22 of the luminaire housing 104 may have rotationalcontact with the one or more respective electrical contacts of thehousing mount 102 (not visible here). The one or more electricalcontacts 22 of the luminaire housing 104 rotates with the luminairehousing 104 and maintains the contact (e.g. axial and/or radial contact,etc. for 360 degrees contact about the axis A) with the fixedconnections of the housing mount 102. Stated alternatively, the one ormore engaging contacts 22 may be rotationally held in electrical contactwith the other corresponding contacts at the housing mount 102 duringany point of the rotation. Thus, in some embodiments, the rotatableluminaire housing 104 may be in rotational connection with the housingmount 102 wherein electrical connectivity between the light luminairehousing 104 and the housing mount 102 is maintained during all points ofrotation. In other embodiments, rotational connectivity may bemaintained only during a predefined rotational extent wherein theluminaire housing 104 is energized at recognized rotational pointsrelative to the housing mount 102 while at other points during therotational extent relative to the two the electrical connections may beinterrupted. Similar aspects and features may be implemented in arotatable electrical plug connection as well.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the luminaire housing104 may include a first and second rearwardly projecting electricalcontacts 22 in a tensioned leaf spring or brush configuration, engagingthe electrical contacts in a concentric annular ring configuration (e.g.hot and neutral) of the housing mount 102. The contacts may include acentrally located coil spring 24 for ground with a correspondingcentrally located disc of the housing mount 102. In such embodiments,the first and second rearwardly projecting electrical contact 22 maymaintain electrical connectivity to the energized concentric annularrings during the entire rotational extent of the luminaire housing 104relative to the housing mount 102 while the rings are continually inelectrical connectivity to respective hot, neutral, and ground wiringfrom the junction box. In some embodiments, one or more structures ofthe luminaire housing 104 and/or the housing mount 102 may axiallyand/or rotationally engage each other to allow relative rotation and/orenergizing of the security light 100. Alternatively, or in combinationwith the light fixture structure, the user may need to axially and/orrotationally maintain the luminaire housing 104 with the housing mount102 until the rotational orientation is fixed. For example, with theluminaire housing 104 assembled with the housing mount 102, theelectrical contacts 22 may be engaged/energized.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 3 , one or more structures of theluminaire housing 104 and/or the housing mount 102 may axially and/orrotationally engage each other to allow relative rotation and/orenergizing of the security light 100. Alternatively, or in combinationwith the light fixture structure, the user may need to axially and/orrotationally maintain the luminaire housing 104 with the housing mount102 until the rotational orientation is fixed. For example, with theluminaire housing 104 assembled with the housing mount 102, theelectrical contact 22 may be engaged/energized. In some embodiments, oneor more retention members (e.g. lugs, taps, projections, dimples) may beused to axially retain the luminaire housing 104 with the housing mount102. The retention member may also allow for relative rotation betweenthe luminaire housing 104 and the housing mount 102. The retentionmember may be received within one or more receivers 26 located on askirt 28 of the luminaire housing 104.

In some other embodiments, the security light 200 may have a differentmechanical and electrical engaging manner compared with the securitylight 100 as described above. For example, FIG. 4 is a perspectivedisassembly view of the security light 200 showing a state before theluminaire housing 204 is attached to the housing mount 202. As shownhere, in some embodiments, the luminaire housing 204 may be attachableto and detachable from the housing mount 202 in a sliding manner, suchthat when the luminaire housing 204 has been attached, electricalcontacts such as positive and negative terminals (e.g., power pins andpower receptacle as shown here) of the luminaire housing 204 and thehousing mount 202 are brought into alignment and contact with eachother. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the first portion 206 of theluminaire housing 204 may include a mounting block 205, and attaching ofthe luminaire housing 204 to the housing mount 202 is performed bysliding the mounting block 205 down in the housing mount 202 to lockluminaire housing 204. Accordingly, detaching of the luminaire housing204 may be performed by operating above actions in a reverse manner(i.e., sliding the mounting block 205 up from the housing mount 202 andpulling back therefrom).

As described above, in some embodiments, the mounting block 205 providedat an end of the first portion 206 of the luminaire housing 204 isremovably engaged (e.g., slidably attached) to the housing mount 202 ofthe security light 200 so as to be attached and detached via a receivingopening 219. In such embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the receivingopening 219 formed in front of the housing mount 202 may include a firstside surface 220, a second side surface 221, and an engaging surface222. The mounting block 205 may include a front wall 231, a rear wall237, and the first and second side walls 234 and 235, which are formedat both sides of the mounting block 205. In some embodiments, a controlpanel 236 including one or more control functions such as a timeradjustment, a brightness adjuster may be located on the front wall 231of the mounting block 205, direction and other control may beimplemented through a lighting controller or through the LED drivers orother similar electronics.

In some embodiments, both the first and second side walls 234 and 235 ofthe mounting block 205 may be provided with one or more sliding slots216 thereon to pair with one or more sliding protrusions 225respectively formed on the first and second side surfaces 220 and 221 ofthe housing mount 202 for guiding and locking the mounting block 205 inplace during the installation process. In some embodiments, the slidingslot 216 may include a first, vertical sliding portion 216 a and asecond, horizontal sliding portion 216 b to align and guide theinstallation direction as described above and indicated by the arrows asshown in FIG. 4 . The configuration (e.g., the shape, height, etc.) ofthe sliding slots 216 and the sliding protrusions 225 may be formed tosuch extent that the sliding protrusion 225 is able to be firmly engagedwithin the sliding slot 216 when the mounting block 205 is slid into thehousing mount 202. It should be noted that the location and/orconfigurations of the sliding slot 216 and the paired sliding protrusion225 are not limited here. For example, in some embodiments, thelocations of the sliding slot 216 and the paired sliding protrusion 225as shown in FIG. 4 may be exchanged (i.e., the sliding slot 216 islocated on the first and second side surfaces 220 and 221 of the housingmount 202 while the sliding protrusion 225 is located on the first andsecond side walls 234 and 235 of the mounting block 205).

In some embodiments, besides the sliding slot 216 and the slidingprotrusion 225, one or more locking, aligning or safety mechanisms mayalso be provided for additional alignment and restraining of themounting block 205 within the housing mount 202. For example, in someembodiments, an elastic body lock 214 may be provided on the rear wall237 of the mounting block 205 with a pressed locking mechanism includinga hook configured to be locked into and unlocked from a lock receivingopening 233 on the engaging surface 222 of the housing mount 202. Forexample, the lock 214 and the lock receiving opening 233 configured tobe engaged with the lock 214 in a sliding direction may be formed at anupper end portion of the rear wall 237 of the mounting block 205 and theengaging surface 222 of the housing mount 202 respectively. It should benoted that the location and/or configurations of the lock 214 and thelock receiving opening 233 are not limited as depicted in the figures.For example, in some embodiments, the locations of the lock 214 and thelock receiving opening 233 as shown in FIG. 4 may be exchanged (i.e.,the lock 214 is located on the engaging surface 222 of the housing mount202, while the lock receiving opening 233 is located on the rear wall237 of the mounting block 205). In some other embodiments, the lock 214and the corresponding lock receiving opening 233 may be located at oneor both side surfaces/walls of the housing mount 202 and/or the mountingblock 205. With the pressed locking mechanism (e.g., the elastic bodylock 214), the detaching of the luminaire housing 204 may be performedby pressing the lock 214 thereby to release the locking mechanismbetween the mounting block 205 and the housing mount 202. It should beunderstood that although the lock 214 shown here is so constructed thatthe operation parts are pressed inward to unlock the hook in the abovedescribed embodiments, some other suitable lock operation manners mayalso be adopted here. For example, the lock parts may be provided withtaper faces, and the lock may be locked/unlocked by sliding.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the housing mount 202 and the mounting block 205may include interfacing electrical contact connections 226. Theluminaire housing 204 may be electrically engaged during theinstallation (e.g. with the sliding motion of the mounting block 205 inrespect to the housing mount 202 as described above). For example, inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the housing mount 202 may include aplurality of upwardly projecting electrical contact connections 226 in apin configuration located on an electrical receiving surface 229 withinthe receiving opening 219, capable of engaging the electrical contactconnection in an electrical receptacle configuration located on anelectrical connecting surface 228 of the mounting block 205 (not visiblein the figures) of the first portion 206 of the luminaire housing 204.Thus, the electrical contact connection of the luminaire housing 204sliding with the mounting block 205 may maintain electrical connectionwith the fixed electrical connection 226 of the housing mount 202 in apin and receptacle configuration. Accordingly, the first, verticalsliding portion 216 a as shown in FIG. 4 may be configured toalign/guide the mounting block 205 to slide far enough vertically toallow the electrical contact connections 226 to be in full electricalcontact for power supply.

Thus, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 , for attaching the luminairehousing 204 to the housing mount 202 of the security light 200 fixed onan eave or a side wall, the sliding slot 216 of the mounting block 205are slid into and engaged with the sliding protrusion 225 of the housingmount 202 by pushing and sliding down as indicated by the arrows in FIG.4 . When the mounting block 205 has been pushed in and slid to the endhaving the electrical receiving surface 229 of the housing mount 202,the lock 214 of the mounting block 205 may enter into the lock receivingopening 233 of the housing mount 202 to be locked automatically, wherebythe luminaire housing 204 can be reliably attached to the fixed housingmount 202. For detaching the luminaire housing 204 from the housingmount 202, the lock 214 may be pressed inward to release the engagementfrom the lock receive opening 233, then the mounting block 205 may beslid in an opposite direction thereby to be detached from the fixedhousing mount 202.

In some embodiments, the spherical motion sensor housing 110, 210 may berotatable/adjustable against the mounting structure (e.g., the luminairehousing first or second portion 106, 206 and/or 108, 208) and/or thesensor shroud 124, 224. FIGS. 5, 5A, 5B, and 5C illustrate variousadjusting mechanisms for the motion sensor 110, 210 in differentembodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the motion sensor 110 maybe capable of a single-axis rotation/adjustment (e.g., vertical tilting)as shown in FIG. 5C. In such embodiments, an interfacing tab 143 may beattached to the rear of the shroud 124 of the motion sensor 110 and besupported and guided by a supporting cup or rail 146 mounted interior ofthe luminaire housing second portion 108 for coupling and retaining thespherical motion sensor housing 110 with the interfacing tab 143 to theluminaire housing second portion 108. The interfacing tab 143 may beconfigured to mate with a plurality of interfacing notches 144 aincluded on a first gear rack 144. In some embodiments, the first gearrack 144 may be in a linear configuration and mounted interior of theluminaire housing second portion 108, so that a tactile horizontaladjustment of the motion sensor 110 may be achieved by manually tiltingthe shroud 124 of the spherical motion sensor housing 110 as shown inFIG. 5C. It should be understood that the adjustment may be limited bythe number of notches 144 a, the length/configuration of the first gearrack 144, and the configuration of the supporting cup 146, etc.

In some other embodiments, the spherical motion sensor housing may havea two-axis rotation/adjustment with the sensor shroud. In some suchembodiments, the two-axis of rotation/adjustment may be alongsubstantially perpendicular axis. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and5A-B, the motion detection range and/or the field of view (FOV) of themotion sensor may be adjusted vertically (e.g., a first axis adjustment)by tilting the motion sensor on a vertical plane such as up or down(e.g., a far range may be achieved by tilting the sensor 110, 210 up,and a near range may be achieved by tilting the sensor 110, 210 down asindicated in FIGS. 7A and 7B). The motion sensor 110, 210 may also beadjusted horizontally on a horizontal plane (e.g., a second axisadjustment). In such embodiments, the up-down and/or left-rightadjustment may be limited by abutting one or more structures (e.g., anoutwardly directed tab) against one or more stops to preventover-rotation.

For example, FIGS. 5, 5A, and 5B illustrate an exemplary adjustmentmechanism of the spherical motion sensor housing 210 that the entiremotion sensor is adapted to rotate to undergo the first and second axisadjustment (e.g., pivoting and panning motion) as indicated above. Insome embodiments, one or more interfacing tabs combined with one or moregear racks may be attached to the motion sensor such that the entiremotion sensor housing is able to rotate about first and secondorthogonal axes, respectively. For example, in some embodiments, withina supporting cup 246 retained within the luminaire housing secondportion 208, an outwardly directed projection 241 may be located on thesupporting cup 246, a first stop 242 a and a second stop 242 b may belocated on a convex surface of the luminaire housing second portion 208,a first interfacing tab 243 may be attached to the spherical motionsensor housing 210, and a first gear rack 244 including a plurality offirst negative notches 244 a for mating with the first interfacing tab243 in different positions may be provided on the supporting cup 246.Accordingly, in such embodiments, the horizontal adjustment may belimited by the projection 241 abutting against the first stop 242 aand/or the second stop 242 b (e.g., the range of horizontal motion maybe limited within 34 degrees left and 34 degrees right from the center,for example), and the vertical adjustment may be limited by the tactilepositions between the first interfacing tab 243 and the plurality offirst negative notches 244 a on the first gear rack 244.

In some embodiments, a second gear rack 245 including a plurality ofsecond negative notches 245 a for mating with a second interfacing tab255 (as shown in FIG. 5B) may be provided on the supporting cup 246 forthe horizontal adjustment of the motion sensor 210. In such embodiments,the second interfacing tab 255 may be located on a portion (e.g., arotational assembly) of the luminaire housing 204 to allow thesupporting cup 246 to rotate around the second axis as indicated by thearrows in FIG. 5A to provide a tactile horizontal adjustment of themotion sensor 210. In some embodiments, the first interface tab 143, 243may be located on the second shroud hemisphere 124 b, 224 b (at the topor at the rear portion of the second shroud hemisphere 224 b as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B) including a moving tab plate 143 a, 243 a, and thefirst interface tab 143, 243 may be coupled to the second shroudhemisphere 124 b, 224 b via a stem 143 b, 243 b incorporating a pin-slotmechanism, or any other attachment mechanisms such as pop rivet. Indifferent embodiments, the configuration of the first interface tab 143,243 may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the first interface tab143 may be in an approximate “T” shape as shown in FIG. 5C, and in someother embodiments, the first interface tab 243 may be in an approximatesliding plate configuration as shown in FIG. 5B.

In some embodiments as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the plurality of firstinterfacing notches 244 a of the first gear rack 244 may be provided onan arcuate or inclined surface for the vertical adjustment, while theplurality of second interfacing notches 245 a of the second gear rack245 may be provided on a flat/level surface for the tactile horizontaladjustment of the motion sensor 210. Various other adjustment mechanismsare also available such as standard ball and knuckle connections, twoaxis elbow connections and the like. It should be understood that asmooth adjustment without using the interfacing notches may also beadapted here as desired, for example, using a gear rack and pinionmechanism.

In some other embodiments, instead of being affixed directly to theluminaire housing 104, 204 as shown here, the motion sensor 110, 210 mayalso be remote therefrom and may be connected to the security light 100,200 either by a wired or a wireless connection. For example, the motionsensor 110, 210 may communicate with the security light 100, 200 from aremote location and provide a signal indicating detected motion. Suchtechnology may include heat signatures, range finding and/or distancemeasurement algorithms and other techniques which may be electronicallyimplemented in the motion sensor 110, 210, combined with electronicswithin the luminaire housing 104, 204.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of one example for the components within thespherical motion sensor housing 210 (the motion sensor 110 has a similarconfiguration except the location of the interfacing tab 143 foradjustment is located on the rear instead of at the top of the housing).As shown here, the motion sensor 210 may include a spherical shroud 224,a lens 232, and a motion detection unit 248 mounted within the sphericalshroud 224. The shroud 124, 224 may comprises abuttingnon-light-transmissive a first shroud hemisphere shell 124 a, 224 a anda second shroud hemisphere shell 124 b, 224 b, which together form thehollow sphere shroud 124, 224, which substantially totally surrounds themotion detection unit 248. The first and second shroud hemisphere 124 a,224 a and 124 b, 224 b are held in abutting relationship by connectingthe shells, via various fastening mechanisms, such as pin and slotand/or snap clip mechanism 254 as shown in FIG. 6 . In some embodiments,the adjustable sensor shroud 124, 224 may be configured to support, andat least partially house the spherical motion sensor housing 110, 210.In some embodiments, the adjustable sensor shroud 124, 224 mayautomatically adjust (e.g., by gravity) in various configurations toposition properly for the operation of the motion sensor. In stillfurther embodiments, the shroud 124, 224 may be combined from more thanfirst and second hemisphere portions as the example shown in thedrawings are exemplary only.

The motion detection unit 248 has an optical field of view for motiondetection through a lens opening 247 located on the first shroudhemisphere 224 a, and the lens 232 may be configured to cover the lensopening 247 of the spherical shroud 224. The optical field of view formotion detection includes a horizontal field of view and a verticalfield of view. To increase the lateral or horizontal field of view, insome embodiments, the lens opening 247 may be defined by a centeropening portion 247 a, a first horizontal extent opening portion 247 b,and a second horizontal extent opening portion 247 c. In someembodiments, the center opening portion of the spherical shroud has aleft periphery and a right periphery (the two dashed lines in theopening 247 as shown in FIG. 6 ), and the first horizontal extentopening portion 247 b abuts the center opening portion left peripheryand the second horizontal extent opening portion 247 c abuts the centeropening portion right periphery.

In some embodiments, the first shroud hemisphere 224 a may also includea first occluding portion 224 c and a second occluding portion 224 d,which may limit the upper and lower vertical field of view. Depending onthe installation position, in some embodiments, the sensor shroud 124,224 combined with the first occluding portion 224 c, the secondoccluding portion 224 d, the first horizontal extent opening portion 247b, and the second horizontal extent opening portion 247 c may provide ahorizontal field of view ranging from about 200 degrees to about 240degrees or more and a vertical field of view ranging from about 20degrees to about 40 degrees or less. It should be understand that themotion detector detects motion only within its field of view. That is,motion detector with a vertical field view of up to about 40 degrees isable to sense motion within a range falling under a vertical field ofview of about 40 degrees. In some embodiments, each of the firstoccluding portion 124 c, 224 c and the second occluding portion 124 d,224 d may be a tab with a curved surface as shown in FIG. 6 .

In some embodiments, the spherical motion sensor housing 110, 210 mayincorporate the use of multiple or single mounted passive infraredsensor (PIR), pyroelectric infrared radial (PR) sensor, radar, sonicand/or laser range finding, among various technologies known toelectronically determine movement of people and/or animals. As existingPIR motion sensors have a fixed field of view, multiple PIR sensorsfacing different directions may be provided to provide an enlarged fieldof view in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, themotion detection unit 248 may include a structure, such as a mountingblock 251 with a plurality of carrying surfaces, on which a plurality ofthermal radiation sensors 250 (e.g., PIR sensor) may be mounted. In someembodiments, a plurality of sensors 250 (e.g., a first, second and thirdPIR sensors as shown in FIG. 6 ) may be arranged at an angle as shown toface the front and both sides of the motion sensor (e.g., face thecenter opening portion 247 a, the first horizontal extent openingportion 247 b, and the second horizontal extent opening portion 247 c,respectively). It should be understood that other suitable arrangementsmay also be adopted, and more or fewer than three sensors may be used.Further, each of the PIR sensors may be electrically connected to alighting controller which reads the sensed input and acts accordinglydepending on current security light settings.

In some embodiments, the motion detection unit 248 may also include amounting surface 249, such as a printed circuit board assembly as shownin FIG. 6 . In such embodiments, the printed circuit board assembly mayinclude a first circuit board surface 249 a and a second circuit boardsurface 249 b, and the mounting block 251 holding one or more sensors250 may simply be affixed to the first surface 249 a via glue, adhesivepads, or other suitable mechanisms. In some embodiments, the mountingsurface 249 may be mounted internally within the spherical shroud 224 toa rear portion 257 of the second shroud hemisphere 224 b through atleast one fastener, such as one or more screws 253. In some embodiments,the motion detection unit 248 may be mounted within the spherical shroud224 proximal to the rear portion 257 of the spherical shroud 224 anddistal from the lens 232 as shown in FIG. 6 . In some embodiments, atleast one LED indicator light 252 may be also provided on the mountingsurface 249 to inform the user of the operation of the motion detectorin detecting movement/heat.

While PIR sensors are depicted within the sensor shroud herein, it isunderstood that many different types of motion sensors may be includedsuch as non-heat based sensors, vision sensors/circuits, radar or othercircuitry which detects movement within a field of view. The output ofany of these different types of motion sensors may be provided to thelighting controller for reading and subsequent determination of responseby the security light.

In some embodiments, the lens 132, 232 may be flexible plastic lens(e.g., flexible segmented Fresnel lens), enabling a more compactspherical design. For example, the lens 132, 232 may be a flexibleplastic lens formed from a thin flexible sheet of plastic material, onwhich are formed a number of individual Fresnel lens segments orlenslets. In some embodiments, the lens may also be pre-formed to aparticular shape. For example, the lens 132, 232 may be curved to thedesired angle or shape, such as a partial spherical arc as shown in FIG.6 , or curved around the circumference of the opening of the sphericalshroud 124, 224 for fully coverage. For PIR sensors, the lens 132, 232may be configured to pass infrared wavelength radiation for the purposeof motion detection. In some embodiments, the light-transmissive lens132, 232 may be a segmented Fresnel lens to focalize signal inputstowards the one or more PIR or other type sensors and also to protectelectronics inside, and through which the motion sensor can detectmotion. In some other embodiments, the lens 132, 232 may be a plainsheet of translucent or transparent polymer, and/or other similarstructures to focus light and/or radiation to the opening allowing inputto the PIR sensor electronics, and the lens 132, 232 may be configuredin any other curved arc and having a plurality of Fresnel lenses formed.For example, in some embodiments, the lens 132, 232 may be made of alight-transmissive material, such as a clear acrylic, and curved in aconical or convex shape to focus infrared radiation over a desired fieldof view so as to permit the sensor to function optimally through thelens. In some embodiments, the lens may be a transparent or translucentbulb type housing. It should be understood that the lens may be of manyother suitable shapes/configuration/materials, such as parabolic,cylindrical, glass, etc.

It should be understood that other motion detection technologies may beadapted here instead of PIR. For example, in some embodiments, themotion sensor 110, 210 may be a capacitive sensor that utilizes aheatsink of the security light 100, 200 and/or a transparent patch ofindium tin oxide (ITO) on an outer surface of security light 100, 200 asa key. Also, for example, in some embodiments, the motion sensor 110,210 may be an ultra-sonic Doppler transmitter and receiver that usestime of flight techniques to determine distance to an object. Also, forexample, in some embodiments, the motion sensor 110, 210 may be a radartransmitter and receiver that uses time of flight techniques todetermine distance to an object. Also, for example, in some embodiments,the motion sensor 110, 210 may be an infra-red reflection distancesensor receiver that measures distance to an object. Also, for example,in some embodiments, the motion sensor 110, 210 may be a PIR thatdetects a heat source (such as a user's hand). Also, for example, insome embodiments, the motion sensor 110, 210 may be light reflectionsensor that detects presence and/or distance of an object based onreflections of light output of the security light 100, 200. Also, forexample, in some embodiments, the motion sensor 110, 210 may be a cameraand one or more signals from the camera may be utilized to detectpresence and/or distance of an object. For example, signals from a depthcamera may be utilized to determine an object in the shape of a personor vehicle is approaching. Also, for example, signals from a camera maybe utilized to determine movement and the movement may be assumed ordetermined to be human movement. Also, for example, signals from acamera may be utilized to determine presence of a heart beat forexample, by monitoring changes in reflected light from a hand and/orother body part of a user. In some embodiments a proximity sensor mayinclude one or more controllers to determine presence, distance, and/orother values.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate two different detection ranges or view conescorresponding to two motion sensor adjustment settings (e.g., a fardetection range and a near detection range). FIG. 7A illustrates a fardetection range with a detection angle α, with the motion sensor 110,210 mounted at a height h1 (e.g., 8 feet from the ground). Accordingly,the motion sensor 110, 210 may be able to sense motion from an object(e.g., a person) between a range at a near distance L1 (e.g., 6 feethorizontally from the sensor) and at a far distance L2 (e.g., 50 feethorizontally from the sensor). As described previously, sometimes thedetection range may be too large or too small in a given setting. Forexample, when the outdoor security light with the motion sensor 110, 210is affixed to an exterior wall or a garage door of a house, the motiondetector may detect motion both within the user's own yard and alsomotion that occurs in a next door neighbor's yard with the far detectionrange setting as shown in FIG. 7A. With the disclosed security lightmotion sensor design here, the user is able to adjust the detectionrange to a near detection range setting by tilting down the motionsensor, for example, only cover an object within the near distance L1range (e.g., 6 feet horizontally from the sensor) as shown in FIG. 7B,to exclude motion in the neighbor's yard from detection. Conversely, theuser may also increase the detection range by tilting the motion sensorup. It is to be understood that the detection angle α does not changeduring the vertical orientation adjustment of the sensor.

It is to be understood that a rotationally adjustable outdoor securitylight with an adjustable spherical motion sensor housing disclosed hereis not limited in its application to the details of construction and thearrangement of components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The described embodiments are capable ofother embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out invarious ways. That is, the structure of the rotationally adjustableoutdoor security light with the adjustable spherical motion sensorhousing as shown here is presented for purpose of illustration anddescription only. It is understood that numerous modifications andalterations of the structure of the rotationally adjustable outdoorsecurity light with the adjustable spherical motion sensor housing maybe made while retaining the teachings of the present disclosure.Consequently, the disclosed rotationally adjustable outdoor securitylight with the adjustable spherical motion sensor housing may beinstalled in various environments. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms“connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein areused broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings,and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” andvariations thereof are not restricted to direct physical or mechanicalconnections or couplings. It should be understood that the rotationallyadjustable mechanism could vary greatly and still accomplish the sameintent. The elements depicted in the accompanying figures may includeadditional components and that some of the components described in thosefigures may be removed and/or modified without departing from scopes ofthe elements disclosed herein. The elements depicted in the figures maynot be drawn to scale and thus, the elements may have different sizesand/or configurations other than as shown in the figures.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustratedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision avariety of other means and/or structures for performing the functionand/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantagesdescribed herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications isdeemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments describedherein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations describedherein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters,dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon thespecific application or applications for which the inventive teachingsis/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able toascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalentsto the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is,therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presentedby way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claimsand equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventiveembodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individualfeature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent,is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with“and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” ofthe elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be presentother than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause,whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when usedin conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer,in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other thanB); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionallyincluding other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should beunderstood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. Forexample, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall beinterpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, butalso including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and,optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated tothe contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when usedin the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactlyone element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or”as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusivealternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded byterms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or“exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims,shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one stepor act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarilylimited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method arerecited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual ofPatent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03. It should be understoodthat certain expressions and reference signs used in the claims pursuantto Rule 6.2(b) of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) do not limit thescope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A security light having an adjustable spherical motion sensor, comprising: a luminaire housing including at least one lamp head, a mounting portion, and a supporting cup, the supporting cup including at least one or more gear racks; a spherical shroud including a first shroud hemisphere and a second shroud hemisphere, the spherical shroud formed by joining the first shroud hemisphere with the second shroud hemisphere, wherein the first shroud hemisphere has a lens opening; an interfacing tab extending outward from the spherical shroud and received within the supporting cup of the luminaire housing, the spherical shroud rotatable relative to the luminaire housing along a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the first rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the second rotation axis; the interfacing tab interfacing at least one gear rack in the supporting cup for restricted rotation along the first rotation axis; a lens covering the lens opening of the spherical shroud and generating a horizontal field of view; a motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud and behind the lens, the motion detection unit having an optical field of view for motion detection through the lens; and wherein the motion detection unit has a motion detection horizontal field of view through the lens of at least 200 degrees.
 2. The security light of claim 1, wherein the supporting cup includes a rotatable outwardly directed projection, the outwardly directed projection rotating between a first stop and a second stop within the supporting cup, the rotation of the outwardly directed projection limiting rotation of the spherical shroud along the second rotation axis.
 3. The security light of claim 2, wherein the outwardly directed projection of the supporting cup rotates along with the interfacing tab of the spherical shroud and also with the at least one gear rack of the supporting cup.
 4. The security light of claim 1, further comprising a second interfacing tab within the supporting cup, said second interfacing tab configured to interface with at least a second gear rack, wherein rotation of the spherical shroud about the second rotation axis causes rotation of the at least second gear rack.
 5. The security light of claim 4, wherein the second interfacing tab is maintained in a fixed position within the supporting cup.
 6. The security light of claim 1 wherein the interfacing tab received within the supporting cup follows along the at least one gear rack along an arcuate or inclined surface.
 7. The security light of claim 1, wherein the motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud has a mounting block having three mounting surfaces, each of the three mounting surfaces having a PIR sensor.
 8. The security light of claim 7, wherein each of the mounting surfaces is relatively positioned is about ninety degrees to an adjacent mounting surface.
 9. The security light of claim 1, wherein the spherical shroud rotates relative to the supporting cup along the first rotation axis and rotates with at least a portion of the supporting cup along the second rotation axis.
 10. A security light with an adjustable spherical motion sensor, comprising: a luminaire housing including at least one lamp head, a mounting portion, and a supporting cup for receiving a spherical shroud containing a motion detection unit, the supporting cup adjustably supporting the spherical shroud; the spherical shroud including a first shroud portion and a second shroud portion, the spherical shroud formed by joining the first shroud portion with the second shroud portion, wherein the first shroud portion has a lens opening; a T-shaped interfacing tab extending outward from the spherical shroud and received within the supporting cup of the luminaire housing, the spherical shroud rotatable relative to the luminaire housing along a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the first rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the second rotation axis; the interfacing tab interfacing at least one gear rack in the supporting cup for restricted rotation along the first rotation axis; a lens covering the lens opening of the spherical shroud and generating a horizontal field of view extending from a first end of the lens to a second end of the lens; the motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud and behind the lens, the motion detection unit having an optical field of view for motion detection through the lens; and wherein the motion detection unit has a motion detection horizontal field of view through the lens of at least 200 degrees.
 11. A security light with an adjustable spherical motion sensor, comprising: a luminaire housing including at least one lamp head, a mounting portion, and a supporting cup for receiving a spherical shroud containing a motion detection unit, the supporting cup adjustably supporting the spherical shroud; the spherical shroud including a first shroud portion and a second shroud portion, the spherical shroud formed by joining the first shroud portion with the second shroud portion, wherein the first shroud portion has a lens opening; a T-shaped interfacing tab extending outward from the spherical shroud and received within the supporting cup of the luminaire housing, the spherical shroud rotatable relative to the luminaire housing along a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the first rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the second rotation axis; a lens covering the lens opening of the spherical shroud and generating a horizontal field of view extending from a first end of the lens to a second end of the lens; the spherical shroud rotatable along the first rotation axis independent of movement of the supporting cup, the spherical shroud rotatable along the second rotation axis with at least a portion of the supporting cup; the motion detection unit mounted within the spherical shroud and behind the lens, the motion detection unit having an optical field of view for motion detection through the lens; and wherein the motion detection unit has a motion detection horizontal field of view through the lens of at least 200 degrees. 